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More than $8 Billion Saved on Fuel Costs as a Result of School Buses
Nearly 2.3 Billion Gallons of Fuel Per Year Saved
Washington, D.C. (October 1, 2008) – As a result of the 480,000 school buses currently in
operation, more than 2.3 billion gallons of fuel are spared each year, resulting in a net savings of
more than $8 billion dollars in fuel costs, according to new statistics released by the American
School Bus Council (ASBC) today.
The statistics, based on the daily ridership of more than 26 million students on more than
480,000 school buses reveal the startling impact that school buses have on the nation’s economy.
Long known to be the safest form of transportation for children getting to school, the new
statistics offer even more reason for parents to encourage their school-age kids to “Get on the
Bus.”
“The school bus industry has a long history of safely and reliably transporting children to and
from school each day,” said John McKinney, Vice President of Operations at International Truck
and Engine Corporation and member of ASBC. “Importantly, however, school buses are also
the most economical and environmentally-friendly way to transport students too.”
Among the other statistics today released by the ASBC:
 17.3 million: Total number of private vehicles needed to transport students currently
riding on all school buses.
 822 million gallons per year: Total fuel used by school bus fleet
 $3.4 billion per year: Total cost of fuel used by the U.S. school bus fleet
 $131 per year: Cost of fuel per child transported by school bus
 3.1 billion gallons per year: Total fuel for cars replaced by buses
 $11.4 billion per year: Cost of fuel for cars replaced by school buses
 62.4 billion: total annual car mileage saved by students riding school buses
 346.6 million: total daily car mileage saved by students riding school buses
 36: average number of cars needed to transport students currently riding one school bus
To help local school districts better understand the impact of school buses on their local
community, the ASBC also unveiled a new online fuel calculator on its Web site at
www.americanschoolbuscouncil.com. The online tool offers districts the ability to accurately
calculate the anticipated economic and environmental impact of local bus service.
In addition to these economic statistics, leading authorities, including the National Academy of
-more-
Sciences and the U.S. Department of Transportation, have agreed that school buses are the safest
form of transportation for getting children to and from school. According to the Transportation
Research Board, part of the National Academy of Sciences, a child is 13 times safer in a school
bus than in other modes of travel. (“The Relative Risks of School Travel,” 2002.)
“The school bus industry takes pride in the safety of our buses and is committed to ensuring that
each and every bus is ready to safely transport our passengers each day,” said Terry Thomas,
President and CEO of Community Bus Services and member of ASBC. “In turn, we encourage
parents to take advantage of the school bus transportation system to not only safely transport
their children to school, but also to help increase the positive economic impact that school buses
have on individual families and communities.”
About the American School Bus Council
The American School Bus Council is a coalition of the school transportation industry -including public and private transportation providers, school bus manufacturers and state
officials responsible for pupil transportation. Council members are committed to providing safe,
effective, efficient and healthy transportation for the more than 25 million schoolchildren who
ride more than 475,000 school buses each day.
The Council’s members include NAPT (National Association for Pupil Transportation),
NASDPTS (National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services), NSTA
(National School Transportation Association), Blue Bird Corp. of Fort Valley, Ga., IC
Corporation of Warrenville, Ill., and Thomas Built Buses of High Point, N.C.
The American School Bus Council was formed in 2006 to educate parents, school officials and
lawmakers about the essential role the yellow school bus plays in the safety, health, security and
readiness of America’s schoolchildren. Council members advocate for increased school
transportation funding and advances industry standards on safety, security, environment, energy
and access to education that are above and beyond state and federal law.
For more information, visit our Web site at www.americanschoolbuscouncil.org.
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